PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands junior Kiersten Clukey (middle) goes in for a shot in Monday's game against Ashland at Conner. Clukey saw her first action this year after returning from injury. Highlands won 48-35.

The Highlands Ladybirds started the annual LaRosa's Holiday Classic with a nice win.

The second of four straight meetings against Campbell County opponents also went to the Blue and White as the Highlands Ladybirds basketball team ventured down US Highway 27 and handled the host Bishop Brossart Lady Mustangs, 63-38 on Friday.

Friday, December 11, 2015

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands senior center McKenzie Leigh gets in position to shoot a free throw in a recent game. Highlands improved to 3-1 with a convincing 64-26 victory over Grant County on Friday.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Highlands Ladybirds (14-8) and Bluebirds (9-10-3) found out where they will travel for their 9th Region quarterfinal games after losing to Newport Central Catholic in the 36th District championships.

Monday, October 5, 2015

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. The Highlands Ladybirds soccer team held its Senior Night on Monday and celebrated with a 2-1 win over Simon Kenton. The players and their families from left to right are Kylie Schuermann, Megan Reynolds, Lauren Ossege, Hayley Crothers, Ellie Farley and Madalyn Wiefering.

The Highlands Ladybirds equaled last year's win total with a 2-1 win over Simon Kenton on Senior Night on Monday.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Contributed Photo. Highlands senior Ethan Shuley became the first-ever individual state champion cross country champion in school history in last year's Class AA boys race. He outran the rest of the pack by 21 seconds in 15 minutes, 58.14 seconds.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands senior Ben Seiter (19) plays the ball in the 36th District championship game against Newport Central Catholic last year. Seiter is one of nine seniors listed on the squad.

It is not just the ultimate goal of the Highlands Bluebirds, but every boys soccer team in Northern Kentucky.

Contributed Photo. The Pulaski County Maroons won their first-ever football state championship last December. The last step in goals that Head Coach John Hines set out to accomplish when he became head coach in 1999 is becoming a dynasty. Highlands has been that for a while winning its 23rd crown a day later. The defending Class 4A and 5A state championships could meet Nov. 27 in Fort Thomas for the right to return to Bowling Green in the 5A state semifinals.

The sign has been up in their weight room since John Hines became head coach in 1999.

It specifically reads, "from NOBODY to UPSTART, from UPSTART to DISTRICT CONTENDER, from CONTENDER to DISTRICT CHAMPION, from DISTRICT to REGIONAL CHAMPION, from REGIONAL to STATE CHAMPION, from STATE CHAMPION to DYNASTY." A sticker is placed next to right of all but the last step in the Pulaski County Maroons football team's weight room.

Jared Lorenzen, a 1999 Highlands graduate, will be inducted into the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame the weekend of Sept. 25-26 when the Wildcats take on Missouri. He completed 862-of-1,514 passes for 10,354 yards during that time. All three are still school records.

If you open up recent Kentucky Wildcat football media guides, his name still stands tall.

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands junior running back Jared Pulsfort (91) scores against Covington Catholic in a junior varsity game last year. Pulsfort could earn some carries this season.

Complacency could have set in years ago.

It often happens after teams win that first state championship. But for this program, after the first title in 1960, another followed in 1961 and it would not be the last one in a while. More of them came and 55 years after that first one, the Highlands Bluebirds football team has built a dynasty.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Contributed Photo. Highlands teammates Amber Barth-Wells (front) and Sydney Hiance (back) share an embrace after Wells scored the game-winning goal in the 2006 state championship game against Louisville Sacred Heart. The goal came with 1:01 left. Wells finished second on the team with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists that year.

Contributed Photo. Highlands sweeper Caitlin Beck goes up for a ball during the 2006 season. Beck helped Highlands to a state-record 20 shutouts in each of the 2005 and 2006 seasons. She went on to play collegiately at the University of Louisville.

Editor's Note: This is the third of four stories commemorating the Highlands Ladybird back-to-back state championship teams of 2005 and 2006. The story recognizes the Highlands Class of 2008. Those members were sophomores and juniors on those teams respectively.
Some had huge on roles on the 2005 senior-laden state championship Highlands Ladybirds soccer team. Others from the Highlands Class of 2008 had to wait for their time.

Editor's Note: This is the second of four stories honoring the Highlands 2005 and 2006 back-to-back girls soccer state championship teams. This story recognizes the Class of 2007 seniors.

It takes one class to set the standard.

Then another one hopes to set it even higher. That's what the Class of 2007 accomplished as members of the back-to-back 2005 and 2006 Highlands Ladybirds state championship soccer teams. Those teams finished a combined 45-3-3 and recorded 20 shutouts each season, which is still a state record.